Dr. Phillips Center Hosts More Than 15,000 Students for 6th and Jazz Program
For ninth year in a row, immersive show introduces middle schoolers to Jazz
Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is hosting the annual 6th and Jazz educational program this week. Over 15,000 students from Orange and Osceola County Public Schools are attending the immersive 55-minute show between February 24 and February 28, 2025, in Walt Disney Theater.
6th and Jazz program is an interactive performance that focuses on highlighting the history of jazz and its influence on modern music. Through recordings and live renditions of compositions, students learn about jazz legends Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie.
"What started as a fun and meaningful way to teach sixth graders about jazz has grown into one of our most impactful education programs these past nine years,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center. “6th and Jazz delivers an interactive experience that ignites young people’s passion for music, while reaffirming our promise to inspiring and providing Arts For Every Life."
In collaboration with Nolan Williams Jr. and NEWorks Productions, the program was designed with the goal of creating a unique learning experience outside the classroom. Williams hosts and conducts the program along with the arts center’s Jazz Orchestra in the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater.
“From the time the students walk into the auditorium, we are actively engaging them in the process of music making,” says Nolan Williams Jr., 6th and Jazz creative director. “They aren’t just coming to observe, they are coming to fully participate in the performance experience.”
Through educational techniques on a live stage, students are taken on a journey filled with tunes, improvisation, audience interaction and dancing. In the last nine years, the 6th and Jazz program has reached over 220,000 students.
This year’s program is generously supported by:
AdventHealth
Chick-Fil-A Greater Orlando Area
Experience Kissimmee
Fifth Third Bank
McGriff Insurance
Jacarlene Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Greta C. & Sean M. Stephens Family
Yuska Family
B-roll is available here.
Photos are available here.
Interview opportunities with Nolan Williams Jr. are available. Please contact Victoria Padovan at victoria.padovan@drphillipscenter.org, to coordinate.